Scorps do it in 2nd half again

HESPERIA - For the second straight week Hesperia was locked in a tight battle early and pulled away with a big second half.

The Scorpions led San Bernardino 7-3 after two quarters Friday, but scored 35 unanswered points in the second half to win 42-3.

Not everything went perfectly for the Scorpions. They were down midway through the first quarter due to a bizarre series of plays. The Cardinals found their way deep into Hesperia territory when quarterback Dwayne Booker connected for a 33-yard pass. The ensuing four plays ended in penalties: clipping and a personal foul on the Cardinals, and two personal fouls on the Scorpions.

San Bernardino was unable to convert another first down and settled for a field goal. That would be the closest that the Cardinals would come to sniffing the end zone for the rest of the night.

Hesperia's ensuing drive rode on the shoulders of Rigoberto Yell, who started in place of the injured Gavin Santos. The junior running back carried the load for most of the drive and got Hesperia on the board with a 2-yard touchdown run.

Neither offense could get on the scoreboard again before the half, but things changed after the break.

Quarterback Ian Harriman faked a handoff to Yell and found a wide-open Jerone Waddell, who raced down the field for an 81-yard touchdown.

"They were manning up in the box, but then we got a couple of big plays," Hesperia head coach Robert Kistner said. "That was good for us."

Yell's legs and Harriman's arm drove the Scorpions down the field again, setting up a 2-yard run from Charles Smith.

Hesperia's defense continued to push the Cardinals' offense back until early in the fourth quarter when the Cardinals were forced to punt from their own 8-yard line.

Rutger Metzger broke through the line to block the kick and recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.

"They were a good squad and extremely disciplined," San Bernardino head coach Nick Monica said.

The Scorpions would add two more touchdowns on runs by Yell and Smith in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

"We're playing well right now," Kisnter said. "We've got some improvement to do, but we gotta keep moving."